March 30, 2014

Some people never want to grow up and most of us certainly do not want to grow old (at least not after we have turned 21), but like most things in life, aging is what you make of it. Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen came into existence on July 1, 2007, so I am a bit shy of seven years writing about this and that. By the statistics, I have written 575 posts and have read through 8,342 mostly kind comments.

It has been my pleasure to write seasonally about gardening at the Jersey Shore and I have enjoyed having the opportunity to introduce my readers to some unusual crops. Horseradish, from previous years and posts being one of them.

Some of the posts were full of family, and some were nature oriented, like the summer I became obsessed with photographing a hornets nest.

My favorite posts were and have always been food oriented. Whether I was chronicling a festival, restaurant meal, cooking class, or photographing a meal cooked on my own stove, there was always a little more passion put into these posts.

It became a logical conclusion that in my blogging career, I would start to write food-centric articles.

The decision has been made to begin a somewhat local to the Jersey Shore new blog that is specific to food, restaurants, chef's, cooking classes, food shops, and the best of home made and home grown.It will be an adjunct to Black Eyed Susan's Kitchen called Flavor Chronicles/ Chefs in Motion and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as you have enjoyed this blog. The new blog will begin on April 1, 2014 and pay tribute to one of my favorite chefs in this area. A chef so esteemed, that after his untimely death, people still talk about him in whispers and reverential tones. The post that I wrote about Joe Romanowski can be found here. I will be at The Recipe for Success benefit on March 31st and will post the experience at the new blog page, so stay tuned.

Please join me in my search for the who, what, and where of delicious happenings at the Jersey Shore and wherever my travels might take us.

February 23, 2014

On my walk this morning...looking for signs of Spring...I noticed all of these empty nests one block. The hornets nest amazes me the most, although, it is pretty unbelievable that these nests made it through such a rough winter.

Here is your reason for a little enthusiasm....if the daffodils say Spring time is on it's way, who are we to argue the point. The Jersey Shore will be blooming in no time. I hope.

December 21, 2013

The east coast was given a gift today from Mother Nature herself...Warmth!! The temperature hovered in the mid-sixties for the winter solstice and people were out in droves enjoying it.

In the spirit of holiday, my husband and I walked down one of my all time favorite streets in Red Bank, NJ today. There are some places in the world where you just feel a special vibe. Along with getting that vibe in Paris, Alsace, the East village in New York City, and of course the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, Monmouth Street in Red Bank also carries that vibe.

Starting with one of my newest favorite places in town, Whipped Bites. You can stop here for an espresso, capucino or hot chocolate. They make fresh crepes that remind me of Paris, especially with nutella and whipped cream. They also have cupcakes and pastries that are out of this world!! Whipped Bites reminds me of walks through the village in NYC in the evenings...a cozy place to stop for a special treat.

Now, if you step across the street, you will come upon another fairly new addition to Monmouth Street. This little gem is called Toad Hollow. I will let the pictures do the talking here...

There are things that I really want in this store!! Santa, if you are reading this, that cute pillow with the goat on it, well...and this bag that says domestic mail...I can't explain it, but you just can't help but fall in love with the stuff in this store.

The ladies who own this place are clever and patient and creative, and did I tell you that they have great taste? Need a gift? It is worth your time to find Toad Hollow...I promise!

Next stop for us was the Cheese Cave. To be honest, we don't tell many people about this place because we love it...and, well, you know how it is when you love something so much that you don't really want to share...but in the spirit of the holiday, I will tell you about this gem. They have amazing cheese as you can see from the picture, but, they also create delicious sandwiches, have been approved for tables so you can eat in, and put together wonderful gifts. We have spent many Friday nights with a bottle of wine and an assortment of cheese, fruit and bread from this wonderful shop.

The photo above is from another little Monmouth Street gem called Lil Cutie Pops...they have lovely chocolates, macarons, their signature cake pops, all hand made and delicious, but, my favorite in this store, the thing I cannot resist are their handmade marshmallows...let me sing their praises, or maybe I will just tell you that they are not to be missed...someone could fill my Christmas stocking with these marshmallows and I will be a happy woman!

Saving the newest for last, The Spice and Tea Exchange has opened on Monmouth Street. What a fabulous holiday gift to everyone who lives in this area. The aroma alone can leave you senseless when you walk into this shop.

Making decisions in this store is not so easy ...there are just so many amazing and, yes, magical options. Different blends of teas that you can smell by opening the jars, blends of sugars, that made me want to rush home and bake cookies...especially the coconut sugar, and the blends of salts. What can I say...I want to try everything in this store. The hot spice blends and the Himalayan salt blocks. It is a gourmet's dream come true! Welcome, to the newest addition and thank you for being here!!

So, I kind of rushed through this post to tell you that if you are still looking to wrap a gift or fill a stocking, find your way to Monmouth street in Red Bank, New Jersey...and if you can remember, tell them that Black Eyed Susan sent you!! Wishes for a very happy holiday and a New Year filled with good health and happy eating!

September 23, 2013

Autumn...my favorite season began this weekend! Maybe growing up on Long Island was influential with this personal love affair I have been enjoying, but in my very humble opinion, this is the richest season...the most magical season...and the most colorful season. It is the time when the world outside turns crisp and cool, the leaves on the trees turn scarlet, gold and rust, the fun holidays and festivals tumble into one another, and it is my favorite time for the best food and wine pairings!

In the little town of Red Bank, NJ yesterday, an annual Guinness and oyster festival took over the streets. We could hear the music from our back porch. It was a beautiful, sun shiney day, which in my world (lupus...no direct sunlight for any length of time), meant I would be indoors. No problem...thanks to the Lusty Lobster, we began our festival with oysters and clams on the half shell.

We also enjoyed Guinness and Vinho Verde on the back porch, out of the sunshine, but first, we cooked dinner. Roasting a ham and because this is also the season of gigantic cruciferous vegetables, throwing together a quick cauliflower, broccoli casserole in cheddar cheese sauce. We, and here I use the royal concept of "we", baked off one of the pumpkins from our yard.

So that "we", meaning Bruce, my own personal chef and brilliant husband, could make a pumpkin pie. Seriously, there is no recipe this man cannot tackle!

The pie was delicious...really, really delicious! What we learned about making a pumpkin pie from scratch is that if you bake or roast the pumkin meat instead of boiling it, you get a sweeter, more caramelized flavor. And when life and Mother Nature give you lots of pumpkins,(please read about our bounty of magical pumpkins here, and here) you find lots of new pumpkin themed recipes. So, when roasting a pumpkin, cut it in half and scoop out the guts and seeds. It is just easier to scoop out the meat afterward if you do this step first. Save the seeds and toast them in the oven...but you knew that.

From one pumpkin, you get a lot of, hmmm, what do you call it, flesh, meat, um, pumpkin puree, yep that sounds better. We got enough filling for two pies, a small souffle dish without crust that our poor baby, the kid in the middle, who had five ( I know...but she actually had 6) wisdom teeth pulled this week, managed to eat. In addition, there are two very large containers of pumpkin puree in the fridge right now, so there will probably be more pumkin themed dishes coming out of our kitchen...maybe some pumpkin ravioli, or gnocchi, or..?

As usual, I was dazzled...yeah, awe-struck by the unending culinary feast that came out of our kitchen this weekend. Did I miss going to the festival in town? Not so much!

The recipe that we used for the pumpkin pie filling, with a bit of tweaking, came from Cook's Illustrated. Which is:

While you are partially baking your pie crust, whisk in a large bowl, the cream, milk and eggs. Combine the pumpkin puree, sugar and spices in a heavy bottomed pan, and bring to a simmer. Stirring constantly, continue simmering the mixture until smooth and glossy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add the liquid mixture to the pumkin puree whisking together to incorporate. Pour the mixture through a sieve to remove any lumps or stringy bits from the pumpkin and then return to the sauce pan and whisk through again. Pour the mixture into your baked pie shell and set in preheated oven (400 degrees). bake for 10 minutes...at this point, if you have left over filling and the pie has settled, you can add more filling. Reduce heat to 300 degrees and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes until edges are set and an internal thermometer reads 175 degrees. Let pie cool for a few hours before eating.

And here is my most important tip...don't forget to buy heavy cream...put it in your mixer...mix....add some super fine or powdered sugar and mix again...add 1/2 tsp of vanilla and mix one more time. Dollop on top of pie. If you own a mixer, there is just no good reason not to make fresh whipped cream. If you want people to love you, show up anywhere with a bowl of whipped cream...it is almost like magic!

September 21, 2013

Susan E. Davis, my very good friend, has published a book about how to take care of some very important beings in your life and mine...your pets. You can order the book on Barnes and Noble or here at Amazon.

Some of you might remember me writing about Susan in this post titled "The Better Life We Never Knew We Wanted". The physical therapist to humans, who became a physical therapist to the animal kingdom, has now written a book so that everyone who worries about the four legged creatures in their home might have a reference to turn to. She has always been, and continues to amaze me.

At the party, celebrating her book launch today, there were so many people with their own testamonials to the very good work that Susan has done.

The room was abuzz about this brilliant author! So many appreciative people in the audience and what a long line to purchase a book.

But, so worth the wait not only for our own book, but what a splendid gift for those who love their pets!

Throwing a party in style, this is the cake that greeted us as we walked in the door...because what would a celebration be without a cake. For that matter, what is a party these days without a cupcake as well?

I am so happy for Susan, the woman who managed to expand on her knowledge of physical therapy, and to launch not only a very unique and important new career on pet care, but to have written a book as well...Congratulations Susan E. Davis...you are just awesome!!

September 18, 2013

Pretty green-blue pumpkins that popped up in our garden and yard this year. They also showed up in a not so expected spot... you can read about that in this first blog post that I wrote.

As I mentioned in that previous post, the pumpkin vines wound their way up the Holly trees...and some of the pumpkins grew in the trees. Yes the trees you see pictured above...about 40 feet up.

There in the tree...can you see it? Look up...way up! See it now? Yes, there is still one pumpkin stuck in the tree and we are at a loss as to how to get it down...I think Mother Nature and the animals might just have to do this work for us.

To read more about these unique pumpkins, go back and read this post. Our bounty from the one pumpkin on the compost pile last year has totalled....a cool dozen pumpkins this year...amazing!! Keep an eye out for pumpkin recipes in the near future!

August 21, 2013

I once met a woman who told me that she never met a dish that she didn't like. What a way to turn a phrase, but I knew exactly what she was talking about. Some people are born with a collectible mind-set. There isn't necessarily a reason behind the collections that they amass, except usually when it comes to souvenirs. Many households in the 1950's had a rack of spoons hanging in their kitchens. Spoons from each state in the union, from European countries, and even from such exotic places as Australia and New Zealand. Fast forward to the year 2013, and you will find many of the 1950's collectibles packed away in basements to be sold at estate, tag, or yard sales.

Clearly, there are still some people who want to preserve the past. For what reason? I have to imagine it is nostalgia or perhaps a more important need to catalogue our antiquities. So important is this need that we have The Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C. that is the keeper of just about one of everything there is to be kept.

Collections and creativity seem to go hand in hand as well. Some collections are either very artistic or are displayed in an artistic fashion. I have without question a collectors mind...I have never met a piece of sea glass that I didn't like. I have collected over the years, vintage cookbooks, vintage textiles, early vintage hammered aluminum, heart shaped rocks, and teapots. I have also managed to hone down some of the collections as my tastes matured.

To this end, I have decided to send some of my vintage tablecloths on to other collectors. In my very humble opinion, one of the best routes for this is Etsy. A place to find collectible inspiration in a most artistic and useful way. There is no waiting to see what price will need to be paid for an item you might want, the price is set from the start. I love to surf through the hand made art, especially from sellers who use vintage textiles as their muse.

Most of the tablecloths featured in this post can be found in my Etsy shop right now...and I will be adding more throughout the week. Sometimes you have to make room for something else in your life, and sometimes you just want to hold onto a little piece of the past. Especially if it brings you happiness.

Stop by Etsy when you have a chance. You might not have another chance to see a Mary Quant textile from the 1960's Carnaby Street era!

August 18, 2013

Last year, we found in our local farmers market, a most unusual grey-blue pumpkin. The young lad who sold it to us very proudly pronounced it to be a Curcubita Pepo, or I have come to learn, a Jarrahdale...which sounded out is Ghiradelli. According to my research, this particular variety hails from Australia. We enjoyed it as a table decoration for quite a while last fall.

And then we put it into the compost pile, which happens to be directly behind our veggie garden. So, while we were not paying a great deal of attention to the garden this year, we would not have been surprised to see more volunteer squash...the last three years have been banner years for butternut squash to grow. Imagine our surprise when we saw a big ole very greenish blue-grey pumpkin growing right in the middle. On closer inspection, we noticed a second growing on the fence, and a third growing in a bush.

Noticing that the squash vine and flowers had made their way up and into the very tall holly trees, it was time for a serious Nancy Drew moment...there are pumpkins growing in the trees, easily 15 to 20 feet up there!! I vacillate between shock, amazment and flat out hilarity. What a wacky thing to be happening in the yard.

Bruce cut 4 of the largest volunteer pumpkins, and we will wait for the others to grow a bit more. This will be the year that we try our first pumpkin pie from scratch. I just love it when mother nature throws us curve-balls in the shape of pumpkins!!

August 12, 2013

Should you find yourself seriously dieting, you might want to save this post to read some other time. It is not for the weak willed! I can attest to this disclaimer because I was once there and this man...

the Viking cooking at the Viking, this extraordinary chef, takes no prisoners. Just to clarify, I put in five miles of walking/running, weight lifting and a 40 minute yoga work out so that I could eat this meal sans guilt.

This is the meal that we had, a traditional Sunday supper for some perhaps, but for me, it was a food fest that I had in the back of my mind for weeks.

Comfort food of epic proportions. The idea originated in the July issue of Saveur magazine.

You can find the recipe for Extra-Crispy Fried Chicken from the Rye KC restaurant in Leawood, Kansas, on page 74 of the magazine. The concept of double frying chicken, intrigued me. In my minds eye I saw the double frying method of making French Fries as being the best, so this seemed a concept worth investigating.

Now, in our kitchen, a recipe is considered a suggestion, a plan if you will that is always up for discussion and debate. In the end, we decided not to brine the chicken as the recipe "suggested" but to soak the chicken over night in buttermilk. We used the same coating, which gave the finished product a wonderful little cayenne bite.

The recipe also suggested to thin the batter with water, a bit of beer was used for this purpose instead.

Was it worth the vigorous work-out? Absolutely!! This was, hands down the very best fried chicken recipe we have ever used. Double frying left the chicken really crispy and the flavor was out of this world...so worth the work.

With the chicken, I made a traditional mac and cheese, using half skim milk and half heavy cream because those were the ingredients that were at hand. The cheese mixture was cheddar, jack, parmesian, and buttermilk blue ( one of my newest finds and a bit of an obsession). To cut through some of the rich, heaviness, that I knew the mac and cheese and the chicken would leave on my palate, I sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic. It really was a perfect, slightly bitter counter point. It is our habit to drizzle a little honey over our fried chicken, a hold over from my childhood. On Long Island, where I grew up, there was a restaurant of historic renown. Ray-Nors Tavern served the best fried chicken and corn fritters, and to my unsophisticated tastes, back in the day, that extra little drizzle of honey is just one of the throw back culinary ideas that stuck. Oh, and just to emphasize how worth it this meal was, I did indeed see two extra pounds on the scale this morning, and I smiled anyway...it was that good!!

August 01, 2013

Chopping a mountain of broccoli in the kitchen this afternoon, I slipped into, what I like to consider, a zen attitude. You see, it's a rainy day and there are groceries languishing in the fridge. In a gastronomic fit of inspiration I started dicing up onion, garlic, carrot, one potato and the broccoli to prepare soup...broccoli cheddar soup. And, while the soup is simmering, there are chicken cutlets and potatoes baking in the oven.

You might be wondering where I am going with this Mom, well, I'll tell you. This very zen space that I find myself in, alone in my kitchen has me channeling back to the faux white brick wallpapered kitchen of my youth. Remember? The kitchen with the knottey pine cabinets, bright orange breakfast nook and the oven door that didn't always want to stay closed? What I see in my minds eye is you, Mom, handing me a sleeve of Ritz crackers to crush while you are chopping and dicing away at mushrooms and onions, and in my mind I can actually smell the saute pan full of aromatics. Without telling us that these were important life lessons, we learned not only to eat our veggies and protein, but to savor the method of how the meal came to be. You taught me to be fearless in the kitchen.

At a cousin's wedding, you once popped a cracker smeared with caviar into my mouth and told me that I would love it and you were right...I did. You taught me to be fearless when it came to foods and flavors...how delicious a soft shell crab could be and how much more delicious lobster tasted when eaten at Trader Vic's in New York. You were a "foodie" before the term existed and I thank you for passing that passion on to me.

You also taught me how to make a party out of extreme adversity. That there are ways of getting through the bad times...and there were plenty of bad times. It is the good times that I want to remember though...the sharing of a small wheel of camembert and a pear while just hanging out together...the TV trays set up in front of The Wizard of Oz every year...the way you confiscated our lolly pops on Halloween so you could make a tree out of them for the pediatrics ward at the hospital.

It is the way you reacted to life in general that gave us the lessons that we take with us today. So, on your 80th birthday I want to thank you for a life well lived because you taught me to find peace and happiness in my own way and to appreciate the tastier parts of time we have been given. I find myself savoring the days more and more as I grow older and that is because of you. Happy Birthday Mom!!

With all my love, Susan

P.S. The soup is delicious and I am bringing a containerful down to you tomorrow.